APOLLO 11 launch 40th Anniversary

On this day 40 years ago, Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, and Buzz Aldrin set off from the launch pad in Cape Canaveral Florida on a two day trip to the Moon.

These three men, two former Navy test pilots and one Air Force combat pilot, would orbit the Earth one and a half times before igniting their propulsion rockets, sending them on a course to intercept the Moon. On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on a celestial body other than Earth. For two days, Mike Collins circled the Moon, alone, losing radio contact with Earth and the astronauts on the Moon every time he passed "behind" the Moon for 27 minutes at a time.
Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong touched down on the Lunar surface inside the Lunar Module, code-named Eagle. Below is a photograph of Buzz Aldrin and the Lunar Lander, taken by Neil Armstrong.

It is hard to believe that it has been 40 years since humanity first touched another celestial body. -FUPPETS- hopes we go back and beyond, for it is in exploration that humanity achieves it's greatest successes.

Here, for your pleasure, is NASA footage of the Apollo 11 launch. Enjoy and think about what a momentous occasion it was. It was the greatest moment in human history.

Buzz Aldrin is a King Hell Bad-Ass

-FUPPETS- would like to thank RoDog for the link to this clip of astronaut Buzz Aldrin col'-clockin' one Bart Sibrel after Sibrel claimed that Buzz Aldrin never went to the Moon and that it was all faked, calling him "a coward and a liar." The old man's still got it!

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Speaks at the MFAH This Friday

-FUPPETS- has long admired the men and women who have travelled away from Earth's gravity well and outside of the tenuous atmosphere that humans require to live. The few humans who have travelled to the Moon, and the even fewer number that actually touched down on that desolate ball of rock, are some of the greatest heroes that humanity has ever known. Their exploration ignited the world, and showed what humans are truly capable of. To think they did this without a single microprocessor aboard their vehicles or suits is astounding. They did everything with transistors!
This Friday, July 10 2009, one of those men, Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., will be speaking at The Museum of Fine Arts - Houston. Buzz Aldrin has co-authored a book recounting,

America´s historic initial moon landing — from takeoff to splashdown — and the two decades of Aldrin´s profound personal struggle that followed. - ( MFAH )

The book is titled MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. The cover appears below.

-FUPPETS- is highly excited and anticipates a mind-blowing evening. Houston's own Ernie Manouse will be leading the conversation. The event is open to the public, is FREE, and doors open at 6:00 PM. Seating and admission is first come, first serve. The talk begins at 7:00 PM. For more information, contact the Museum of Fine Arts - Houston at 713-639-7360.

This iconic image of Buzz Aldrin was taken by Neil Armstrong, who can be seen in Aldrin's visor's reflection. Click the image to enlarge.

Here are a couple of recent interviews with Buzz Aldrin, the second human to ever touch the Lunar surface.

Moon Walker Buzz Aldrin: Time to Settle on Mars Approaching the 40th anniversary of his historic walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin talks about the state of space exploration and his new memoir, "Magnificent Desolation." - ( Wall Street Journal )

The Man on the Moon: Questions for Buzz Aldrin - ( The New York Times )

(Below is an image of astronaut Aldrin's footprint on the Lunar surface, taken by him on July 20, 1969)